Nigel stared blankly at the two people giggling while looking at the window gradually filling with greenery, then let out a soft sigh as if deflating.

‘To think a suggestion that started as a joke would be taken so seriously.’

It was a proposal made thinking Allen might fail if things continued like this. And she had added a bet on top because Noah looked so eager.

“Nigel! Is this your hometown? There are so many tall trees!”

Nigel vigorously stroked Knox, who was taking on a green hue.

She was proud of the child who usually complained if not moving around here and there in Sienia, for staying quietly in the enclosed train for several days.

Suddenly, with a loud noise, the train slowly came to a stop.

When she had visited before to mediate the fight between the Cromwell brothers, she had only felt impatient, but stepping off the train station this time, the feeling was quite different.

Though her heart ached at the faded memories with Nix, seeing the smiling faces of the two made her laugh effortlessly.

“Nigel, your heart is pounding happily!”

“Yes, because I’m glad to come home with you.”

And her heart was fluttering at the thought of seeing her family after so long.

She was already looking forward to seeing how Rus and the children would react to each other.

Nigel’s hands were heavy with quality tea leaves for Ron and Handel, and cookies filled for the children.

She refused Noah’s offer to help with the luggage, wanting to enjoy this weight.

“As expected of the human I chose!”

Rus nodded with a grin. She wanted to knead that fluffy body all over, but unfortunately her hands were full.

As Nigel looked regretfully at her two hands, her eyes suddenly caught the glittering diamond ring.

Hopefully news of her engagement had not spread to Tillin. She did not want to have an awkward encounter with family members she was meeting after a long time.

Nigel decided she must take off the ring as soon as she got in the carriage.

‘By the way, we’ll need to find a carriage from here to Tillin, where did we get one before?’

Her mind was so full of excitement that she could hardly remember.

As Nigel furrowed her brow trying to recall, suddenly a splendid carriage appeared before her eyes.

“It’s dazzlingly bright! Like Sir Rus’s future nest!”

This splendid one must be some noble person’s carriage.

She couldn’t help but be captivated by the sight of the formally dressed coachman politely opening the carriage door.

“What are you doing? Get in.”

Allen boarded the carriage with the coachman’s escort as if it were natural.

“Rich human…! You really, really were rich!”

“Haha, Rus! You’ve finally realized my true charm!”

Rus bounced into the carriage, looking around here and there.

As Nigel blinked in bewilderment, the coachman smiled kindly and helped with the luggage in her hands.

“…You refused when I said I’d help.”

Well, let’s ignore Noah’s words. Nigel pretended not to hear and got on the carriage.

Clop clop clop, the beautiful carriage ran stably on the poorly maintained road.

Going down the familiar road she had traveled many times with her precious ones, Nigel couldn’t hide her joy.

“Oh? You took off the ring.”

The sharp-eyed Allen added words that didn’t need to be said.

“…It’s only temporary anyway.”

Nigel said without looking at Noah sitting next to her.

“That’s a very good idea!”

Thanks to Rus, the atmosphere quickly dissolved.

Soon the carriage entered the outskirts of Tillin.

Familiar yet new scenery of green forests, with small shops in between, came into view.

“But why aren’t there any people?”

“Ah… Haha, I guess everyone is sleeping in today. The shops are opening late.”

“Maybe they’re preparing for a festival?”

Allen and Noah answered Rus while glancing at Nigel’s expression.

Nigel’s face was cold as she carefully scanned everywhere.

There were no open shops, no children running and laughing in the streets and forests.

As if there had never been anyone here from the beginning.

This small village had a strong northern bluntness, but it was a place with deep compassion where people would come to check on the orphanage even on days when snow reached their waists.

It was the first time there was not a single passerby in this place where children mingled regardless of background or wealth.

“…We have to go up the forest from here.”

As soon as the coachman opened the door, Nigel rushed out of the carriage.

‘Surely nothing has happened to the orphanage. Everything will be fine.’

Though she tried to steady her heart, her resolve kept slipping through the cracks.

The more anxious she felt, the larger and faster Nigel’s strides became.

Allen at the rear panted for breath but walked silently.

“……”

Including Rus, everyone found it difficult to say anything easily and followed behind Nigel up the forest.

Nigel stopped in her tracks as they reached the peak of the forest.

And then she collapsed to the ground.

The orphanage where Nigel had stayed since childhood was in such disarray that its form was barely recognizable.

The old tree pillars that had firmly supported the walls and roof had collapsed, and the shape of the attic roof where Nigel used to hide and giggle as a child was barely visible on top.

Nigel reached out towards those remains, then closed her eyes, unable to bear the sight.

Why on earth did this happen?

It felt as if everything that had been supporting her had completely crumbled.

The bundle of luggage she had carefully brought for her orphanage family rolled haphazardly on the dirt ground.

“Nigel……”

Rus, sensing Nigel’s emotions, curled up weakly by her side.

“…This building, it probably collapsed within a day. There’s no moisture at all in the wood.”

Allen’s voice was heard then.

“There’s no sign of blood around, and no human presence, so your family members are surely safe.”

“I think so too. So lift your head. You need to check your home with your own eyes.”

“…!”

At the voices of the two, Nigel slowly gathered courage.

Reason filled her damp purple eyes. Nigel slowly looked around, disregarding the falling tears.

There were traces of the kitchen once filled with butter aroma in the wood pieces, and tattered fairy tale books near the pillars.

Nigel smiled faintly while brushing the worn fairy tale book cover and carefully put it in her bag.

With the help of the two, she carefully examined the collapsed orphanage. There were no traces of blood, weapons, or people being hurt anywhere.

“Haah……”

Only after putting down the last piece of debris did Nigel let out a sigh.

Even if a house collapses, you can rebuild it if there are people. So it couldn’t fall.

Then, Rus, who had been quiet, raised his body and looked towards the forest.

“Sorry, Rus. You must have been bored alone.”

“It’s alright! This great dragon has very strong patience.”

Rus answered bravely. But that small body was still facing the forest.

“What’s wrong, is there something there…?”

“……A small human.”

“What?”

“A small human is approaching.”

With a rustle of brushing against the undergrowth, a disheveled boy with messy hair appeared.

Allen and Noah blocked in front of Nigel at the appearance of the stranger.

Nigel quickly ran out from behind the two’s protection.

“Jack……”

Nigel tightly embraced that body that had grown a span taller but was still small.

At the warm touch, the young child burst into tears he had been holding back all along.

“Ni, Ni, Nigel……”

“What happened, what happened?”

As if it had never crumbled, Nigel’s face was firm as she wiped Jack’s tears with her sleeve.

“I, I, I was alone… *hic*, I went to play in the forest… Su, suddenly, the director and, *sob*, took all the kids, and destroyed the orphanage.”

“Who, who did that?”

Nigel grabbed Jack’s shoulders and looked straight into his eyes.

Jack, who had been crying for a while as the tension released, stopped crying after a moment and opened his mouth.

“……The cler, gymen.”

“……What?”

“Tillin hid the. *hic*, Holy Maiden… They took all the villagers in white, carriages. I saw, *hic*, clearly.”

Allen and Noah sighed at words too heavy for a child to bear.

“So, sorry Nigel….. Without Nigel, I should have, *hic*, protected the orphanage… But I couldn’t protect anyone and, secretly hid in the forest……”

Tears burst forth again from Jack’s eyes that had just barely stopped crying.

Nigel said nothing and hugged Jack tightly without a gap.

In an inn owned by the Evans merchant group, Nigel sat on the bed stroking Jack, who had fallen asleep exhausted from crying.

Knock knock, then a careful knocking sound was heard.

“Come in.”

Allen and Noah tiptoed into the room.

“Ah, he’s asleep. That’s a relief.”

“It really is.”

The two smiled softly at Jack sleeping quietly.

“Rus specially cast a deep sleep spell on him.”

“A-hem! I originally learned it to cast only on Nigel, but since it’s Nigel’s request, just this once!”

Though saying that, Rus did not leave Jack’s side.

“So, did you get a lot of information?”

Allen and Noah nodded simultaneously.

“I urgently asked around some close clergymen, and it seems the words of a child from Tillin who was recently adopted by a noble family became the root of the problem.”

“What did they say?”

“Well… about that.”

As Allen hesitated to answer, Noah spoke instead.

“It seems the child happened to see a clergyman using holy power when visiting the temple. So……”

“That’s enough, I think I know what happened.”

Nigel pressed her forehead.

Pinky promising as insurance, she clearly recalled her own actions of treating children with holy power.

Surely, seeing the temple’s holy power, the child must have smiled brightly saying they had seen a similar light from their new mom and dad.

All of this was her own fault for leaving room for doubt, believing it would be fine because they were just children.

“……It was just a child’s words, so once the investigation is over, the suspicions will be quickly resolved. And, the child never revealed your name until the end.”

That small child had kept their promise with her. Nigel bit her lip hard, feeling like she might cry.

“Spending the entire vacation in Tillin is completely out of the question now. Nigel, what are you going to do now? Some Evans merchant group people were among those taken by the temple, so I can exert some influence.”

Nigel’s gaze deepened as she listened quietly to the story.

As long as people are alive, a house can be built again. But the wounds left on the heart never disappear for a lifetime.

After a brief thought, Nigel opened her mouth.

“We need to make this issue bigger. Let’s go to the imperial palace.”